Myth: Higher concentration of silver is better.

Fact: Never take more than necessary.

(Do you take a 10,000mg aspirin?) A common myth is that “more is always better.” In the case of colloidal silver, this is a false belief that higher concentration means greater efficacy. Swiss botanist Karl Wilhelm von Nägeli defined the oligodynamic effect (Greek: oligos = few, dynamis = force) in 1893 to describe how extremely low metal ion concentrations exert potent biocidal activity, a fact known to this day.

Fact: Bio-active silver is what provides immune support*.

Labels report total silver concentration, but do not report total BIO-ACTIVE silver concentration. Taking silver is most helpful if it is in the right form – the bio-active form. This means positively charged, and a mixture of positively charge ions and the smallest particles possible (silver nanoclusters).

Fact: while homemade is inexpensive, you get what you pay for!

Just do a simple online search and you will find readily available colloidal silver generators and, for pennies on the dollar, you can make your own at home. This is dangerous. There is very poor control over the total silver concentration. It is extremely challenging to verify a consistent particle size with DIY colloidal silver, and therefore there are risks. At the least, you will need to take more to achieve the same effect of a high-quality silver product, because you won’t be able to achieve a consistently small enough particle size to be able to maximize surface area. You will be consuming something with unknown and much higher total silver concentration, which is therefore a greater toxicity risk. In fact, most cases of argyria have resulted from using homemade colloidal silver over extended periods of time.

Fact: It is not recommended to store a colloidal product in plastic (or to store anything else that carries an electrical charge in plastic).

The truth is that bottling in plastic is cheap, easy and efficient. It reduces countless worries associated with glass and breakage, decreases shipping weights, and results in substantial savings… but at a cost to quality that is in direct conflict with our mission to provide the finest mineral hydrosols. With our knowledge of the scientific reasoning supporting glass being the better choice, we cannot jeopardize quality and purity in order to reap a savings in cost and processes.

Fact: Everything can be toxic at a certain amount.

When assessing the toxicity and/or safety of any chemical, a number of factors must be considered, the most important of which is concentration. Chlorine, as a prime example, is an extremely caustic chemical with an infinite list of terrible side effects and dangers, yet it is used to keep the world’s water supply clean and, when bound with sodium, exists in the salt on your dinner table. Most chemicals, including the components of the air we breathe, are toxic at the wrong concentration.

Fact: Silver should be considered a trace mineral.

Although many [allopathic] doctors and regulatory agencies still claim that silver – or colloidal silver, specifically – has no functional role or therapeutic value, Health Canada (equivalent to the FDA in the USA) has recognized Sovereign Silver and its sister brand for professionals, Argentyn 23, as “Trace Elements,” after performing a thorough evaluation of efficacy and safety.

Trace elements (like copper, zinc, iron, etc.) are essential for the maintenance of good health.

Fact: There is no such thing as “true colloidal silver.”

“True Colloidal Silver” is a marketing term that implies completely suspended large particles of inactive metallic silver and no bio-active ionic silver. The idea stems from an incomplete understanding of Surface Plasmon Resonance, or the scientific property that gives silver nanoparticles larger than 5 nm diameter their yellow color.

Depending upon the size, shape and concentration of the “plasmonic” silver nanoparticles, different wavelengths of light will be absorbed and thus the colors will range from yellow to brown to orange, or even blue or green for particles larger than 5 nm.

Particles smaller than 5 nm (i.e., nanoclusters) absorb wavelengths of light outside of the visible spectrum and thus appear clear and colorless. So be educated, and know that companies that claim they have “true” colloidal silver are not telling you the whole truth!